If you are interested in getting many ideas about baby food puree recipes from stage 1 to stage 3, you have come to the right place.
In this post, I’ve organized everything the way I wish someone had laid it out for me: the full food list for each stage, the tools that make the whole process easier, and the cooking method.
The actual recipes are simple, clear, and sorted by age.
Let’s start at the very beginning. Or you can jump to the recipes here:
Tools You’ll Need
You don’t need a fancy kitchen setup. But a few specific tools make this dramatically easier and save a lot of time. Most of these tools you can find in your kitchen.
- Blender or Food Processor
- Airtight Storage Containers,
- Steamer insert with lid.
- Fine Mesh Strainer.
- Ice Cubes
- Auto Meal Baby Food Maker, to cut, steam, and blend the ingredients in one device instead of using multiple tools.
Baby Feeding Essentials
If you don’t want your baby to mess around with everything and stay clean, you will need these essentials before introducing food:
- High Chair
- Sleeved Bib
- Silicone Spoons.
- Suction Bowl Set
- Reusable Food Pouches
How to Store Baby Purees in the Fridge and Freezer
Try to cool purees completely to room temperature before refrigerating or freezing.
Don’t put hot puree directly into the freezer; it raises the internal temperature and can partially thaw nearby items.
Fridge:
- You can store the purees in the refrigerator in well-closed containers for up to 2 or 3 days.
Freezer:
- Silicone ice cube trays (1 oz per cube), freeze 4–6 hours, then transfer cubes to labeled freezer bags with the date. Most purees keep for 2 months frozen.
- Don’t freeze yogurt or egg purees; freeze the other ingredients and combine them with fresh yogurt or egg before serving. They are not tasty at all when frozen.
- For avocado, you can freeze it, but it’s better to serve it fresh since it doesn’t take time to prepare, and the taste is better.
Reheat safely:
When you want to serve the frozen puree, don’t microwave it; instead, thaw the cubes in the fridge overnight.
Pro Tips from a Mom to Mom
- Don’t start with fruits. When babies taste fruits first, they may refuse veggies, so it’s better to introduce the veggies first.
- It’s better to steam the fruits and veggies instead of boiling them, as they lose their nutrients in the water.
- First 10 days of introducing food: try to introduce the recipes as breakfast only to watch your baby in case there is an allergic reaction.
Stage 1 (4–6 Months) Baby Food Puree Recipes
At this stage, we don’t add salt, sugar, or honey to the recipes.
List of Ingredients
You need the following ingredients to prepare the recipes:
- Zucchini
- Sweet potato
- Carrot
- Butternut squash
- Peas
- Apple
- Pear
- Banana
- Avocado
- Potato
Cooking Instructions
- Peel and chop firm vegetables and fruits, like butternut squash, sweet potato, etc.
- Steam or roast the veggie or fruit until completely soft.
- After cooking, blend the ingredients with a little cooking water, breast milk, or formula until smooth. You can skip the whole process and use the Auto Meal Baby Food Maker to cut, steam, and blend in one device! It also has 3 texture settings for all stages and an auto-clean feature, so it’s perfect for busy working moms.
- For very soft fruits like bananas and avocados, no cooking is needed.
Stage 1 Puree Recipes
The quantities make about 3 to 4 ice cubes, so feel free to double or triple the quantities for batch cooking.
- 1 Small Zucchini + 1 Medium Carrot.
- 1 Small Sweet Potato + 1 Small Apple
- 1 Medium Pear + ½ small Banana
Mom tip: Bananas turn brown when frozen, which I personally don’t prefer. I prepare fresh bananas before serving.
- ½ Ripe Avocado + 1 Small Apple
- 1 Small Potato + 1 Medium Carrot
- ½ Cup Butternut Squash (Cubed) + 1 Medium Carrot
- 2 Medium Carrot + 1 Apple
- 1 Zucchini + 1 Small Sweet Potato
- ½ Butternut Squash + 1 Small Apple
- ¼ Cup Peas + 1 Small Sweet Potato
- ¼ Cup Peas + 2 Medium Carrots
If you want to batch cook, you can double or triple the quantities; the method stays the same.
Stage 2 (6–8 Months) Baby Food Puree Recipes
At this stage, your baby has now tolerated a range of single foods. Next, it’s time to combine, add spices, and introduce proteins.
When my baby turned 6 months, I mashed the food instead of blending it; it’s time to make the food less smooth, to get babies used to real food textures step by step, so they’re ready when you introduce finger foods.
List of Ingredients
You need the following ingredients to prepare 17 Stage 2 combos. Remember to test each ingredient individually first before making combinations to make sure your baby doesn’t have an allergic reaction:
- Vegetables: Broccoli, carrot, sweet potato, butternut squash, peas, red lentils, onion, tomato, potato.
- Fruits: Apple, pear, banana, mango, blueberries, avocado.
- Proteins: Poached chicken, poached salmon, fully cooked egg yolk, minced meat without fat, cottage cheese, plain whole milk yogurt.
- Grains: Oatmeal (thicker), soft-cooked rice.
- Mild spices (optional): Cinnamon, cumin, thyme, dill, vanilla extract
Cooking Instructions
- Peel and chop firm vegetables and fruits.
- Next, steam or roast fruits and vegetables until soft.
- After that, mash or lightly blend; the texture should be slightly thicker than Stage 1.
- Add a little cooking water, breast milk, or formula if needed.
- Introduce mild spices sparingly.
- For lentil soup, cook the ingredients in boiling water.
- Don’t forget to cook grains and proteins fully before combining. For grains, I cook them in boiling water until they are fully cooked. For proteins, I cook them in boiling water or roast them. What I avoid is frying — anything else is fine.
Stage 2 Recipes (6–8 Months)
- Homemade Rice Cereal
½ cup cooked rice + ½ cup steamed apple + pinch of cinnamon
I wait until the rice cools down before blending the ingredients. You can add a pinch of cinnamon (optional).
- Sweet Potato + Apple + Cinnamon
For a naturally sweet option, try this recipe (½ cup steamed or roasted sweet potato + ½ cup steamed apple + pinch of cinnamon)
This is one of the most popular first combos, sweet, warming, and accepted by almost every baby immediately.
- Lentil Soup
½ cup cooked red lentils + 1 chopped carrot + 1 chopped onion + 1 small tomato + pinch of cumin + 1 small potato (optional).
Cook the ingredients in boiling water until soft, then blend. This recipe is perfect for babies and adults too, especially in winter, as it keeps us warm!
Important: Watch your baby after introducing lentils, as they may cause an allergic reaction.
- Broccoli + Pear + Apple
½ cup steamed broccoli + ½ cup steamed pear + ½ cup steamed apple
Pear and apple help balance the broccoli’s bitterness, which makes it super helpful for picky eaters.
- Blueberry + Mango + Avocado
¼ cup steamed blueberries + ¼ cup ripe mango + ¼ ripe avocado
Sometimes I skip the blueberries and mix mango with avocado — it works great and my daughter loves this mix too.
Try to serve this recipe within the same day if you don’t plan to freeze it, as avocado browns and the taste changes.
- Banana + Oatmeal + Cinnamon
1 ripe banana + ¼ cup cooked oatmeal + pinch of cinnamon
I don’t use instant oatmeal as many brands have added sugar. I cook whole grain oats in water and mash the banana into warm oatmeal.
- Pear + Yogurt + Vanilla
½ steamed pear + 2 tbsp plain whole milk yogurt + 1 drop of vanilla extract
Try not to freeze this one, as yogurt changes texture when frozen. Instead, you can freeze the pear puree and add it to the yogurt before serving.
- Avocado + Banana + Yogurt
½ ripe avocado + ½ ripe banana + 2 tbsp plain whole milk yogurt
Important note: Try not to freeze this recipe either, as all the ingredients can change texture when frozen.
- Sweet Potato + Carrot + Cinnamon
1 medium steamed or roasted sweet potato + 1 medium steamed or roasted carrot + pinch of cinnamon
- Lentil + Butternut Squash + Olive Oil
¼ cup cooked red lentils + ½ cup roasted butternut squash + 1 tsp olive oil
Olive oil is highly nutritious, especially for babies who need extra calorie support.
- Banana + Peanut Butter + Oatmeal
1 ripe banana + 1 tsp smooth unsalted peanut butter + ¼ cup cooked oatmeal. Perfect for breakfast or as a snack.
Important: Introduce peanut products only after other allergens have been cleared and ideally after a conversation with your pediatrician, especially if you have a family history of peanut allergy.
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- Semolina + Apple + Cinnamon
2 tsp semolina + ¼ cup water + ½ cup steamed apple + pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Boil the water, stir in the semolina over heat until thick like cereal, then mix in mashed apple and cinnamon.
Note: Semolina is a wheat product and contains gluten, which is a common allergen. Introduce it in a small amount and watch for any reaction.
- Chicken + Sweet Potato + Thyme
½ cup poached chicken breast (shredded) + ½ cup steamed sweet potato + pinch of thyme
This is a great first protein combo, mild flavor, easy to digest, and most babies take to it quickly.
- Beef + Potato + Carrot
½ cup lean minced beef (fully cooked) + ½ cup steamed potato + ½ cup steamed carrot. Then, mash or blend with a splash of cooking broth.
- Salmon + Peas + Dill
½ cup poached salmon (boneless, skinless) + ¼ cup steamed peas + pinch of dill. Make sure all bones are fully removed before blending.
- Egg Yolk + Sweet Potato
1 fully cooked egg yolk + ½ cup steamed sweet potato
- Cottage Cheese + Banana
2 tbsp plain cottage cheese + ½ ripe banana. This recipe is super easy, requires no cooking, and is ready in 2 minutes.
Stage 3 (8–12 Months) Baby Food Puree Recipes
Stage 3 is about texture more than new ingredients. You’re leaving smooth purees and moving toward soft chunks and table food consistency.
List of Ingredients
You need the following ingredients to prepare 12 Stage 3 combos.
- Vegetables: Carrot, butternut squash, peas, broccoli, spinach, roasted vegetables of choice
- Fruits: Banana, avocado
- Proteins: Poached chicken, shredded chicken, lean ground beef, fully cooked scrambled egg, salmon
- Grains: Soft-cooked rice,
- Mild spices (optional): Cumin, parsley, dill, thyme
Cooking Instructions
The same as Stage 2 cooking instructions:
- Peel and chop firm vegetables and fruits.
- Next, steam, roast, or cook ingredients until soft.
- After that, you can mash or lightly blend; the texture should be slightly thicker than Stage 2.
- Then, add a little cooking water, breast milk, or formula if needed.
- Introduce mild spices sparingly.
- Don’t forget to cook grains and proteins fully before combining. For grains, I cook them in boiling water until fully cooked. For proteins, I cook them in boiling water or roast them. What I avoid is frying.
Stage 3 Recipes (8–12 Months)
The quantities make about 3 to 4 ice cubes, so feel free to double or triple the quantities for batch cooking.
- Chicken + Sweet Potato + Peas
1 small poached or roasted chicken breast + 1 medium steamed sweet potato + ¼ cup steamed peas
You can add a splash of cooking broth to bring the ingredients together.
- Scrambled Egg + Avocado
1 soft scrambled egg (egg yolk only before 9 months) + ¼ ripe avocado
Avocado is high in calories, which makes it a good option for babies who need to gain weight.
By the way, I have a blog about The Best Weight Gain Foods for a 1-Year-Old Baby, all foods recommended by my daughter’s pediatrician. If you want to help your 1-year-old gain weight, it’s worth checking out.
- Ground Beef + Butternut Squash + Thyme
2 oz lean ground beef (fully cooked with a pinch of olive oil or natural ghee) + ½ cup roasted butternut squash + pinch of dried thyme
This meal is perfect for freezing. You can make a large batch and freeze individual portions in ice cube trays for convenient future meals.
- Peas + Sweet Potato
¼ cup cooked peas + ½ cup cooked sweet potato
This recipe works great as an on-the-go snack in a pouch. I have a blog about 20 Healthy Homemade Food Pouches for Toddlers, which is worth checking out if you want more on-the-go recipe ideas.
- Red Lentils + Spinach + Tomato
¼ cup red lentils + ¼ cup fresh spinach + 1 tomato
Cook all the ingredients and blend, but leave some texture. This recipe is rich in iron and vitamin C, which helps with iron absorption, making it perfect for babies with iron deficiency.
- Rice + Roasted Vegetables
¼ cup cooked rice + 2 pieces of any roasted vegetables (whichever your little one prefers)
- Potato + Minced Meat + Carrot + Parsley
1 medium mashed potato + 1 cup cooked minced meat or shredded chicken + 1 steamed carrot + ¼ cup chopped parsley + a tiny pinch of black pepper, sweet red pepper + cumin (optional)
- Rice + Chicken + Broccoli
½ cup cooked rice + ½ cup chicken + ¼ cup broccoli
Feel free to add any vegetables to this recipe, like peas + carrots; the mix is very tasty.
- Salmon + Potato + Dill
½ cup cooked salmon (boneless, skinless) + ½ cup cooked potato + 1 tsp parsley + ½ tsp dill
This recipe is rich in omega-3. Just make sure all bones are removed and the texture is very smooth.
- Chicken + Butternut Squash + Carrot
1 small shredded chicken breast + ½ cup roasted butternut squash + 1 medium steamed carrot
- Minced Beef + Sweet Potato + Peas
2 oz minced beef + ½ cup steamed sweet potato + ¼ cup steamed peas
- Avocado + Banana + Oatmeal
½ ripe avocado + ½ ripe banana + ¼ cup cooked oatmeal
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best first foods to puree for babies?
Zucchini, sweet potato, pear, avocado, peas, potato, and banana. They’re gentle on digestion, low on the allergen scale, and blend beautifully smooth.
Can I add spices to baby food?
Yes, from 6 months. Cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, and dill in tiny amounts are all safe and great for expanding your baby’s palate.
How long does homemade baby food last?
2–3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. 2–3 months frozen, depending on the type. Purees with meat or yogurt have a shorter shelf life — treat them like fresh protein.
Does pureed food help with baby constipation?
Pear, plum, zucchini, and prune purees are the most effective, all high in sorbitol. Peas and oatmeal also help. Banana and rice in excess can make constipation worse, so balance them with higher-fiber options.
When do I move from Stage 1 to Stage 2?
After 4–6 weeks of solids, once your baby has tried 10–15 single foods without any reaction. Signs they’re ready: finishing portions fast, opening their mouth before the spoon even arrives, and grabbing for the spoon. Those are your green lights.
